Submerged
seagrass meadows are a dominant, unique subtropical habitat in many Texas
bays and estuaries. These highly evolved marine flowering plants play critical
roles in the coastal environment, including nursery habitat for estuarine
fisheries, as a major source of organic biomass for coastal food webs, effective
agents for stabilizing coastal erosion and sedimentation, and major biological
agents in nutrient cycling and water quality processes. They are also some of the best
areas for recreational angling for several marine species.